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12 Tips to Avoid Fainting in Public and Hurting Yourself

I fainted again for the second time. You can read about my first experience here. When it first happened almost 2 years ago, I was totally freaked out because I’d never fainted before in my life and was terrified that something was seriously wrong with me. My doctors ran tons of tests, including MRI, EEG, Holter Monitor, EKG, etc., but didn’t find anything wrong. They thought I may have been dehydrated. I didn’t think I’d gone that long without water, but now, to avoid fainting, I carry a reusable water bottle everywhere I go.

Then, I was sitting at a tall restaurant table at one of my favorite San Fernando Valley restaurants and had just started to dive into a fabulous seafood dinner. Suddenly, I felt like I was going to pass out. (Disclaimer – It had nothing to do with the food because it’s always wonderful) Like an idiot, I decided to drink some water to avoid fainting but I was wrong. Next thing I knew I woke up under the table . . . again. I must have a thing for passing out at dinner tables.

I remember before it happened trying to tell Doug I thought I was going to pass out. He said he grabbed me, but then I jerked away and he couldn’t hang on. Thankfully, I didn’t break my neck. Instead, I did a major number on my right foot. I sprained the “you know what” out of it and it hurt like hell.

The owner of the restaurant wanted to call 911 but Doug wouldn’t let him. Apparently, he thought doing a header off a high chair on my head and mangling my foot didn’t warrant an ambulance. (Men can be idiots) He and an 80-year-old waitress helped me hobble to the car.

I ended up crawling around for a few days until he bought me a set of crutches. I hated being an invalid and my weekend was ruined. Luckily, after getting it X-rayed, I was told my foot wasn’t broken. (a year later, it still twinges)

I know now that my fainting (syncope) was caused by a vasovagal response. My sister has the same problem and faints at the sight of blood. She’s passed out many times and now, I guess, it’s my turn. Vasovageling (my term) is not a dangerous condition in itself unless you fall and hurt yourself. The tendency toward it sometimes starts to show after the age of 50. However, you always want to avoid fainting and hurting yourself if at all possible.

What causes us to faint?

Fainting is caused by a drop in blood pressure. Have you ever sat on the pot, trying to crank out a stubborn number 2 and suddenly felt hot or weird? (sorry about the visual) It was probably because your blood pressure was dropping. If you aren’t careful, you could land butt side up on the floor. Not a pretty picture.

Fear or panic will also cause you to faint, like in my sister’s case. If my sister or Doug need a shot, they both have to be lying down to avoid fainting.

Other causes of fainting include standing up for too long, becoming overheated, drinking alcohol when you’re dehydrated, or going too long without eating.

Both times I fainted I was standing for a long time on a warm day, had a little wine, waited too long to eat, and didn’t drink enough water.

I never want this to happen to me again or to any of you, so I did some research on how to prevent fainting and came up with . . .

The 12 best ways to avoid fainting in public:

Always drink water throughout the day.Professor Richard Sutton, Professor of Cardiology suggests drinking 4 liters a day. That sounds like you have to suck up a lake but staying hydrated is essential.

Eat MORE salt. We’re always told to eat less salt, but if you faint easily you need more of it. Salt helps to hold water inside your body. Don’t feel guilty about sprinkling a little extra salt on your food.

Don’t drink alcohol outside your home unless you’re at a friend’s house or in a protected environment. If you’re standing at a cocktail party table drinking, you may find yourself swooning. Take it from me, passing out in public is embarrassing as hell. And remember, you don’t want to hurt yourself. The phrase, “I’ve fallen and can’t get up”has new meaning for me.

Sleep with your head raised up slightly and your feet elevated. When you wake up, Dr. Sutton suggests you ask someone to bring you a biscuit and tea. He’s English, can’t you tell? I wouldn’t mind having someone bring me a biscuit and tea in bed. Unfortunately, Doug’s usually snoring when I wake up. Hmm . . . maybe I need a houseboy.

Eat small and frequent meals. If you vasovagal, like me, don’t cut out snacks. You don’t want your blood sugar levels to drop. Snack on healthy food instead of junk.

Wear support stockings if you have to stand up for a long time. You want to keep the blood in your legs circulating. Better yet, avoid standing in long lines. If you have to, bring a small camp chair.

Don’t lift objects that are too heavy. When you’re strength training, use light weights with more reps rather than heavy dumb bells.

Be careful when you’re in a steam room, sauna, hot car or other hot location. I remember arriving at the Island of Saint Vincent in the Grenadines several years ago. It was insanely hot and humid. I was sitting at the bar at the marina waiting for our rented sailboat to be ready, feeling like I was going to die. I thought I’d caught Dengue fever right out the gate. Once we were on the water, I was fine. Coming from Southern California, I wasn’t used to the extreme humidity of the Caribbean and it took me a while to adjust. My feet also swelled up the first couple days.

Don’t sit on tall chairs at bars or restaurants. If possible, sit in a booth surrounded by people who will catch you.

If you feel like you’re going to pass out, hit the floor immediately. Don’t worry about being embarrassed. Sit with your head between your legs or lie on the floor with your feet elevated. If you hesitate, for even a second, you may end up like I did; a face on the barroom floor limping along like Hopalong Cassidy.

If you start feeling like you can’t breathe, have chest pain, blurry vision, headache, or you’ve never fainted before, see a doctor immediately. Have a complete medical workup with a cardiologist and neurologist. Don’t take any chances because your condition may be more serious.

Just a side note about men as nurses.

Doug’s been a pretty good nurse during this ordeal, but he was freaked out by the whole experience. After we arrived home from the restaurant and he was helping me up the stairs to our house a big moth flew into his ear. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t get it out. The monster was flapping like crazy inside his ear canal. Crazed, he dumped me off at the house, turned around and took himself to the ER, leaving me to literally crawl on the floor to the bed.

I do a header off a tall chair spraining my foot and he flips out because a moth is in his ear? $100 later, the doctor in the ER pulled it out. It was huge and had gone way inside of his ear canal. The doctor actually had to kill it in order to get it out. He said he’d never seen anything like it. Apparently, Doug had been attacked by Mothra.

Have you ever fainted? Do you have any tips to avoid fainting you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below.

Comments

I remember one summer, I had so many fainting spells or near fainting spells I lost track. I decided to go see my doctor to see if there was anything seriously wrong. The biggest suggestion she gave me was also the number one suggestion you gave. Drinking water is so important to help your body function normally and for your heart to be able to pump enough blood to your body. I definitely agree that if you take this precaution, you will substantially be able to avoid fainting.

Wow Meg, that must have been scary. You’re right about drinking water. I never go anywhere without carrying a bottle and drink it all day. Dehydration is the cause of a lot of accidents and illnesses especially as you get older. Thank you so much for highlighting that fact. I hope you feel much better now.

It definitely wasn’t the highlight of my summer, I can tell you that! I agree with you, though, that making sure you have your water bottle, and you’re drinking enough water is vital. Thanks again for your great post!

Just recently my doctor told me about eating small meals and drinking more water after my wife told him how I would sometimes faint out of nowhere. The cardiology procedures with the doctor focused on some tips that are similar to the ones described in the article.. They’re definitely good to learn about and teach others who also go through the same thing as me.

I fainted one time so far when I was at a restaurant I had the little rumbly stomach feeling of going to puke so I went to the restroom. I tried to puke but could not had chest pain (at the moment thought that was my puke stuck right there) then woke up facing upwards

A few months later went back to the same place had that puke feelings again and I knew that would not be the case instead of laying down like you said I was forcing myself to stay awake talked to myself hit myself screamed a little (scared a poor kid in there) everything was going blury I thought if I fell asleep I might not wake up I managed to not faint after wetting my face a few times

The best way to prevent fainting is to clench and tighten all your muscles to increase blood flow to brain. This can be done by sitting cross legged or crossing your legs if standing, tighten your abdominal muscles and pulling interlocking hands. Anecdotal reports suggest closing your mouth and gasping or forcefully sniffing also helps. Tilt training has been shown to reduce episodes of fainting.

It’s nice to have all this clarified again. I have been having seizures brought on by reflex vasovagal syncope for about 25 years and fainted regularly before then. I am 33 now.. I have seizures around twice a year which often involve incontinence, vomiting and of course, convulsions. No cure available just an attempt to prevent them which doesn’t always pan out. I had one in June this year in front of my 11 year old kid (she’s well versed in what to do though). I nearly had one today at home, I managed to get to my bed in time and put myself in a head down/bum up position. This has stopped an attack three times for me now. Once in the middle of a bank!!

Don’t worry about looking stupid. It’s definitely better than passing out and in my case, spoiling yourself in public!

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